Remote shoots
During a remote shoot you are in your own home, I am in mine, and using The Shutter App I take photos using the camera on your phone.
It’s easy to get started - when you open the app you’ll see a code, just share this with me and we go from there. During the shoot we’ll be using the camera on the back of your phone so you won't be able to see me or yourself, but I’ll call you before we begin on FaceTime or WhatsApp so we can catch up and run through the process.
Book your session
If you haven't already, please book your remote photo session here
Read the setup & FAQs below
This may be the first time you've done a remote shoot - please read through the set up required & FAQs below.
Check your phone
You will need:
At least 4GB of free space (photos will be stored on your phone until they automatically upload after the session)
A fully charged battery (it will not be possible to plug your phone in during the shoot)
A clean camera lens (we use the camera on the back of the phone as this is the best quality)
Tripod
We’ll build a makeshift tripod for your phone from everyday objects. These are the must haves:
- An elastic band or hairband
- A 400g tin (eg of beans)
Nice to haves:
- A pile of books
- A few more tins
- A stepladder
These 'nice to haves' can be really helpful if we need to play with the position of the camera but don't worry - we’ll work with whatever you have available
Wifi Connection
Video call quality doesn’t affect the quality of the images however it’s important to turn off wifi on other devices in your home (not your phone!) or at least make sure they aren’t streaming anything during our shoot so we don’t get any dropout
FAQs
Where is best to take the photo
As we’ll be shooting during daylight hours, it’s best to think of a location that has good natural light/near a window. The focus is on you, so we don’t need a fancy set up background, just you, some light and we are all good. I’ll likely ask you to move ‘me’ around so that we can get the best light and best shot
How should I pose?
I will help you and talk you through what to do – we’re looking to get a photo of you as you are and we’re in no rush, we can take our time
I feel nervous
Most of us feel nervous before having our photo taken (see me above on my first remote shoot), it’s completely normal – we can get a good photo even if you’re nervous, but I hope too you’ll feel relaxed as you’re in your own home, completely in control of what we do. It may even be enjoyable!
Do I need to tidy up?
Completely up to you! Don’t worry too much but maybe have a bit of a tidy of things you don’t want in the photo
What should I wear?
It’s completely up to you, its about what what you’re most comfortable with and what you feel best represents you. We will be playing with the camera position and this might include some wider angle shots; so it's worth thinking about your whole outfit and what might appear in the background as we move around
Hello?
Please note there is a mute button on the bottom of the screen when we are using the app – when you move me around, you may accidentally hit this – if you haven’t heard me in a while, please tap the screen & icon again so we can hear each other!
After our shoot
Keep the app open
Immediately after our shoot it’s really important that you keep the app open so that the photos can be uploaded to the cloud for me to download and edit
Don't delete
Please keep the app on your phone until I email you to confirm I have the images
Contact
If you need to reschedule the date and time of your photo shoot, there’s a handy link in your confirmation email that will allow you book a date and time in my diary
For anything else, please let me know at sam@sampaynephotography